Carry On Further
by Dindin1311
Summary: The story takes place about a year and a half after the end of Rainbow Rowell's "Carry On". Simon, Baz and Penny are back for another adventure.
1. Isn't That Reason Enough?

**Simon**

It's been almost two years since the mess with the humdrum, a little over a year since I started college. Things have been settling into place for me lately. My psychologist says I'm getting better by the minute, I feel better by the minute. Baz haven't agreed to talking to her, he's not one to talk about his problems.

"Crowley, Snow! Would you stop bringing this up?" Baz said last time I tried talking him into it, tired of opting for subject changes.

"No. Would you tell me why won't you do it?"

"Does every thing has to have a reason?" He said.

"Why wouldn't it have one?"

Baz frowned, then let out a deep breath. His hand smoothed his hair away from his face.

"Because-", he cut himself off mid sentence, looked down, back up and said:"I mean-" , sighed, then:"For magick's sake, Simon, why can't you let go of it? I'd rather not talk to her. Why isn't that reason enough?"

Baz sounded a bit irritated, I wasn't trying to pick a fight. "It is," I said, stepping closer and taking his hand, "but if you change your mind-"

"I know." he said, squeezing it.

Anyway, I decided not to cut all ties with the magickal world( not that I could if I wanted to, I _am_ dating a vampire, but I'm more involved than I could have been). Penny's dad keeps me updated on the holes(they're shrinking slowly) and takes me on his surveys every once in a while. I haven't been back to Watford, but that day will come.

 _I'm back at Baz's house in Hampshire, running through the wood, looking for something. The humdrum's here as well, the air feels dry. I put my hand on my hip and call for the sword. It appears. My skin is tingling with magick._

 _"Simon!" Baz is calling me, his voice is worried._

 _I look around but can't see him anywhere._

 _"Simon," he calls again, "Simon, wake up love."_

I'm laying in bed. Baz's propped up on one elbow, as worries as I've seen him, trying shake me out of my nightmare. He can't stomach them, even after all this time. We're in Baz's flat, the plan is to get one together eventually, but we decided waiting until we're both done with school would be best.

I'm panting and feel as though magick is pulsing inside me. The nightmares never caused that before.

"Fuck," Baz whispers in shock, "Snow you are shimmering."

 **Baz**

Snow's skin is _shimmering._ Not just a faint glow, but an actual _shimmer_ , like he was sprinkled with fairy dust. That hasn't happened for a while, not since he lost his magick.

Simon would never say he lost his magick, he'd say he gave it back, like it was never his in the first place. Whenever he speaks to that psychologist he talks about it like he is a Normal who was stuffed with magick. She doesn't disagree, but I do. I've thought about it quite a lot. Normals can't speak with magick, it is possible to cast on them but you can't lend them magick for them to cast. If Snow's a Normal, it would be impossible to give him magick, he wouldn't have any at all. He's probably right in the sense that some of the magick was not his, but some of it had to be.

He lifts his hand, looks at it for a moment and jumps back, hitting his head on the headboard.

"C-Crowley, " he mumbles, horrified, "How?"

I try focusing on his smell, he still smells sweet and brown but there's another smell there, fainter. Brimstone, like when we were kids, when he still had magick.

"You smell like magick." I say as soon as it downs on me.

"Of course I do, you and penny cast on me all the time." Snow's eyes are still on his hand, wide and perplexed.

"I meant _your_ magick."

"But I don't have it, not anymore."

He's sitting in bed now, so am I. He turns to me, his jaw hanging open.

"Try casting something." a wicked grin crawls on my lips as I say it.

" I can't cast without my wand." Simon says reluctantly.

To be fair, he can barley cast with his wand, magick was never his strong side, no matter how much of it he had. I get up and walk over to my desk, where his wand is stuffed in one of the drawers. When he lost his magick, Snow wanted to get rid of it. "What am I going to do with it? Use it as decoration?" he'd say every time I tried convincing him he should keep it. When I suggested he keeps it for sentimental reasons rather than practical ones he simply looked at me. This look was enough for me to understand magick doesn't bring back a lot of happy memories for Snow. I kept his wand since that day, just in case.

I tossed it to him from across the room, leaned against the wall and crossed my arms.

"Go ahead." I motioned to the mess I created looking for the wand.

" _ **As you were!**_ " his words came out hesitant, but loaded with enough magick for the spell to work. The mess puts itself back into the drawers.

"Simon." I walk to him and grab him by the shoulders.

"Baz." he says back, not realizing what just happened.

"You have magick!" I exclaim. Snow stares at me, not saying anything.

"We have to call Bunce." I add a couple moments later, not realizing how terrified Simon looks.


	2. That Hasn't Stopped You Before

**Simon**

This cannot be happening.

 **Penelope**

"Ugh" I groan, _what is it now?_ I think to myself.

My phone is ringing, I roll over to get it from the bedside table, it's Baz.

"Can you come over?" he says as soon as I answer, sounding as if he's somewhere between excitement and worry.

"Baz it's- " I pull my phone away from my ear to look at the hour, "-three in the morning." I'm too tired to be surprised by it. "Couldn't this wait until _after_ the sun rises?"

I will end up going, I always do. Something is bound to happen whenever Simon doesn't spend the night at our flat. Frankly, I'm surprised when nothing does. Like that one time he and Baz went for a drink and accidently walked into an obscure vampire bar, or when Simon's tail was showing and none of Baz's spells worked. But they're already in Baz's flat, what could be so urgent?

"Sunlight burns me, Penelope." Baz replied, not fully kidding.

"That hasn't stopped you before, Baz."

"Look, Penny," the worry is definitely getting the best of him, he rarely calls me that," can you get here or not?"

I sigh. "What is this about Baz?"

"I think Snow's getting his magick back." Baz says.

I stand up at once and say: "How do you know that?"

"You'll see when you get here." Baz answers, he knows I'm already out the door.

 **Simon**

Baz is standing in the corner, speaking into his phone quietly. His eyes are focused on me.

I try to get out of bed to wash my face hoping this would make me feel better, but only make it to a slightly different sitting position: with my legs hanging over the edge rather than under the covers. My head is spinning and I feel as if I'm in a cloud. I try standing up but fall back on the bed. Baz's face changes as I do it, his tone becomes tenser.

He seats down next to me as soon as he's finished talking. Put's his hand on my leg, squeezes. I lean against him and he puts his arm around my shoulder.

We stay like that until the doorbell rings.

" _ **Open sesame!**_ " Baz casts to let Penny in.

"Crowley," she says as soon as she sees me, "Simon you don't look good."

Penny rushes to the bed and tugs on Baz's sleeve so she can talk to him in the corner.

"He has to relax first, he's terrified _and_ shocked. That's never led to anything good with Simon's magick." I hear her whisper.

"I guess you're right." Baz whispers back and lets out a sigh.

They walk back to the bed and star casting relaxing spells on me; I feel my eyes fall shut.

 **Baz**

I shouldn't have agreed to this. Spelling Snow unconscious was an awful idea. Seeing him asleep glistening with magick is too similar to when I used to watch him in Watford, when I couldn't decide if I need to kiss him or kill him to solve my problems.

I can feel his magick now. He's powerful, at least as Bunce is, but he's not bursting at the seams like he used to. It feels as if he has a healthy amount of magick for his body now. Hopefully it stays that way; another humdrum is the least we need.

I told Bunce what happened and she didn't say much, only that we should call her father in the morning.

"Baz?" she says after about ten minutes of silence, "Remember that theory you had about Simon's magick? That he had some and was had extra put into him?"

I nod.

"What if the extra is what caused the holes to appear?"

"I guess that makes sense." I say, I've actually thought about this before. I think every option regarding Snow's magick passed through my head at some point.

"So when he fought the humdrum he only gave him the extra. The rest was simply gone from exhaustion; he was temporarily out of magick." Bunce says, not paying attention to my commentary.

I look at her with my mouth hanging open, not being able to believe such a simple theory never occurred to me.

"Baz? Penny?" Snow says from the bed. Both of us are next to him in an instant. He's glow is fading, thank magick.

"Are you feeling better?" Bunce ask, not missing a beat.

"Yeah, I think so. Am I still magickal?" he says with half a smile.

"You've always been magickal for me, Simon." I say it just to mess with him, it never gets old.

He drops he's head and shakes it, a smile creeps to his lips. Bunce sighs.

"Simon." she says, he looks at her, "Try making your tail disappear."

Snow looks puzzled for a moment, then stands up (Shaky, but definitely more successful than his previous attempt). He steadies himself against the headboard and looks like he's trying to remember a long forgotten spell. The tail vanishes.

Snow turns around and tries to find it but it's not there. Bunce looks as if she's about to bounce from excitement.

"Oh, thank magick!" I say breaking the silence, "I thought I'd have to spell that devil tail of yours invisible for the rest of your life." They both look at me and we burst out laughing.

 **A/N: Hey, I just wanted to say that this is my first fic that I'm posting so I'd love to know what you think about it and any constructive criticism you might have. Also, I'm not a native English speaker, please let me know if you notice any grammar/ spelling mistakes so I can fix them( I got rid of as many as I've noticed, but probably missed a few). I have more chapters to come so stay tuned :)  
**


	3. If I Didn't See So Myself

**A/N: Hey, sorry it took me so long to update. I'd love to know what you think about it and any constructive criticism you might have.  
**

 **Penelope**

Simon somehow got Baz to go to bed last night, but judging by the way he looks this morning, I don't think he slept.

"Is that coffee?" Baz asks when he steps into the living room. He then realizes he isn't the one making it and directs his (lack of) energy to getting all evil out of his kitchen. "Bunce, get out of my kitchen, I am capable of cooking myself." Baz mutters and adds something about his general disappointment in the human kind and its disregard of personal space under his breath while physically pushing me away from the stove.

" _Good morning, Penelope. Oh you're making breakfast? That's great, thank you._ just didn't make the cut, did it?" I say in response, "And besides, your boyfriend right there," I add, nudging my head in the direction of the kitchen table where Simon is sitting, "is culinary challenged and constantly hungry so I didn't have much of a choice."

Simon smiles apologetically and crosses the kitchen to give Baz a kiss.

"Ugh, could you keep this for later? We have a lot to do and need to get to my parents' house."

"You're probably right," Simon says, looking a little disappointed, "but can we have breakfast first?"

* * *

We're in the attic of my parents' house. The board is full with what we know (Simon got his magick back, he didn't go off, no new holes, his magick feels different) and what we don't know (Why did Simon getting his magick back? Dad says my theory is probably right, but we have no way of knowing).

"Simon, could you cast something a little bigger?" Dad asks.

Simon has been casting little everyday spells all morning long, but this request makes his shift uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'd rather not, to be honest." Simon says, looking down, "I mean, we don't know what could happen… I could go off, or set everything on fire."

"Simon is this is what that's all about?" Baz says, "That's why you look so terrified every time you cast? You're afraid of creating another humdrum?"

Simon looks up to respond but Baz keeps on talking.

"Simon, you've casted you're tail and wings away, that takes _a lot_ of magick, and nothing happened."

"That was bloody necessary!" Simon finally breaks, "Do you know how uncomfortable they were? Nothing happened then, but it might this time. I don't want to take the risk"

Baz wants to answer but dad holds out a hand to stop him.

"Basil is actually right." he says, "There's no need for you to worry. Nothing happened so far, I have a hard time believing this will change."

"But the possibility is still there." Simon protests.

"The possibility is always there, for all of us. The World of Mages can't quit magick because it can possibly create something dangerous if you misuse it, and you shouldn't do that as well." Dad says, using his teaching voice.

Simon takes a deep breath and says: "Alright, what should I cast?"

 **Simon**

I can't believe I was talked into this. Something will surely go wrong; it always has when it came to me and big spells.

"What about _On love's light wings_?" Penny suggests. We've been looking for a spell for me to cast, our main demand is no potential damage.

"There's no way I'm getting the vowel shift right." I say, Baz smiles a little when I say nothing about messing the stupidly in love part.

"Can you try _Imma let you finish_? I don't think there are any special requirements for it." Baz says with a smirk, definitely remembering the time when _he_ got the great vowel shift of the 16th century right (of course he did).

"That could actually work." Penny's dad says and Penny nods, all agreeing to this spell I've never heard off.

"What is this spell?" I ask.

"It disconnects space and time for a few seconds, allowing the person who cast it to change space without the time changing." Baz explains, giving me the textbook definition. It only makes me more confused. He sighs and tries again: "It makes everything frozen in time except for the person who cast it."

"Are you sure it's not dangerous?"

"Yes, Snow, you're not going to rip the universe apart."

I roll my eyes at Baz's comment, trying to pretend as if this isn't _exactly_ what I fear.

I reach for my wand at the same time Penny says: "Do something." I look at her, confused.

"While we're frozen, so we could see it worked." she adds, I nod.

" _ **Imma let you finish!**_ " I say and everyone freezes. I flip a nearby chair before the spell fades and cross the room.

"Guess it worked." Penny says, looking at the upside-down chair.

"Your magick feels quite different, Simon. I wouldn't believe the same person casted it if I didn't see so myself." her dad adds.

"So the magick I'm using now is not the same magick I had before?"

"Most likely no, the magick you have now is perfectly safe if that's the case."

"That's great, Simon!" penny says exited. I let out an unenthusiastic "Yeah." in response; still not sure returning to magick is a good idea.

* * *

It was getting late so Baz and I headed back to his flat. It was freezing inside when we entered; a cold wind creaked in through the window.

"Simon, Simon… my rosebud boy." I hear a thin voice saying. I look over at Baz, he hears it too.

The cold seeps through my clothes, I shiver. Baz steps closer to me, grabbing my hand.

"My son, I would have never left you." the voice says again.

We stand there frozen until the cold goes away.  
"Was that a visiting?" Baz asks. I nod.

"I heard this voice before, the same night your mother came back. There was no one to see that time, only the voice. I thought it was her again."

"Snow, my mother wouldn't call you her rosebud boy, not in a million years." Baz says, "That was your mother, if anyone's."


	4. Not My Story To Tell

**Baz**

I'm sitting at my desk, alone, trying to organize my long list of questions. Simon left for school a couple of hours ago and won't be back tonight, which gives me plenty of quiet thinking time. Yet, I feel like I won't be able to figure this out until I see him again.

I'm assuming what happened last night _was_ a visiting since it matches what I know about them perfectly. Following that assumption, the first question on my list is why did we get a visiting last night? If it was Snow's mother, the answer is simple: he doesn't know her and she wants him to know the reason. Another question I have is _how_ the visiting happened? The veil thinned two years ago, it shouldn't be thinning for another eighteen. Looking into past visitings, I didn't find any that happened in the wrong time, the mages would have documented one if it happened. I could blame the Humdrum for messing the cycle, but I suspect that would be a simplification.

My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door, I'm not expecting anybody. I open the door to see Snow's shaken, slightly disappointed face. He almost looks as if he hoped I wouldn't answer.

"I need a drink." he declares as he pushes past me, heading straight to the kitchen. I've never seen him like that.

"What's wrong, Snow?"

"Want some?" he says as an answer, meaning the whiskey he just pulled out of my liquor cabinet. I nod with indifference, not really caring for the drink. Simon pours me a glass. I take it and sit at the kitchen table. He pours himself a glass, downs it in one go, refills and sits across from me.

Something is truly wrong. Before I can say anything he says:" Lucy- my mom- visited again." My jaw drops, so does Snow's gaze. He moves the whiskey between his hands and I decide it's better not to say anything.

"I was sitting in the library writing a paper," he says, "and she just appeared out of nowhere."

"Did the Normals notice anything?" I ask, panicked. It's always a mess when Normals see magick.

Simon dismisses me with a wave while he takes a sip. "I cast _there's nothing to see here._ That's not the point." he says, proceeding to tell me the story of how Simon Snow, the chosen one, most powerful mage who's ever lived, who was temporarily out of magick and part dragon, was created. When he's finished I feel like I'm the one who needs a drink, I take a sip.

"Aleister Crowley, Simon I'm so sorry." I say, grabbing Snow's hand from across the table. He doesn't say anything; just looks at my hand like it's an alien creature that shouldn't be anywhere near his.

"Come on," I say, he looks up at me, "you should get some rest."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he says, "I should go home." Simon gets up but I catch his arm before he manages to get too far.

"This is your home," I say, then drop my gaze, "if you want it to be."

Simon gives me a sad smile, steps closer and gives me a soft kiss on the cheek. "Thank you" he whispers right at my ear, then leans back and adds:" but I should really get going. I need some time on my own."

I nod and walk him to the door. "Simon, you _do_ know this doesn't change anything, right?" I tell him, "Not about you, not about your life. It's only information, it has no power on its own."

We stand in silence for a few moments. Snow opens the door. When he's already outside but with the door still open he turns to me with a half smile and says: "She told me when my birthday is, I never knew the date. It's in two days." He turns around and walks away. I close the door behind him.

My phone buzzes, it a text from Bunce. _What happened to Simon?_ It says.

 _I don't think it's my place to talk about it; he'll have to tell you himself._ I reply.

Her text back comes immediately: _Ugh. You're useless. Can't you say anything? He's really off, I'm worried._

I decide that I can tell her about the visitings in general, we would have told her anyway, so I text: _There are visiting happening again, not sure why yet._

My phone Buzzes with her immediate reply: _WHAT?! I'm calling._

Moments later my phone rings, her name shows up on the screen.

"Baz!" she sounds angry, "Why didn't you tell me about the visitings? How do _you_ know about them?"

"Umm," I say, "we got one when we came home last night."

"Did your mother come back again?"

"Not exactly."

"Who was it then?" she says. Naturally she's curious but I can't say anything, it's not my story to tell.

"Penelope," I say, "I told you I can't talk about it, why do you keep asking?"

 **Penelope**

Baz wouldn't tell me anything.

"Why do you keep asking?" he says, sounding irritated.

"I told you already, I'm worried about him, Basil."

"Well he'll have to tell you himself. I'll talk to you later Penelope." Baz says and hangs up.

I can't say I'm happy with where this is going but I decide to try the other way around. I knock on Simon's door, when he doesn't answer I open it and peek inside. Simon is lying on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"Simon?" I say softly, he doesn't react, "Will you tell me what happened? I'm really worried."

Simon sighs and sits up with his legs hanging from the side of the bed, elbows on knees.

"I'm fine, Penny. Quit worrying." he says looking at his lap, "I just really don't want to talk about it." he looks up at me and says: "I need to think this through before I can do anything about it, so if-"

"I get it, Simon, I really do. I'll give you space. When you're ready talk…"

"I know where to find you." Simon finishes the sentence for me. I shake my head a little and leave.

I decide I should let mum know about the visitings, maybe she'll be able to help.

Some hours later Simon emerges from his room looking like he just ran straight through hell.

"Hey, Penny." He says, "Can you help me with something?" He runs his fingers through his hair.

"Sure," I say, "what is it?"

"Can you find some information about someone named Lucy? She probably went to school with your mother and dated the Mage."

The description sounds really familiar but I can't put my finger on it.

"Lucy" I say out loud, for myself rather than Simon, but then it downs on me:"Mum's actually told me about her, I think they were good friends. Agatha was also interested in her story for some reason, maybe she knows something, I'll call her."

"Thanks Penny, let me know if you find something." Simon says before he disappears back into his room.

I plan on calling Agatha but I have to see the full picture before I do that. I dial Baz's number.

"Basil," I say as soon as he picks up.

"I told you already," he sounds exasperated," It's not my place to talk about it.

"And I'm not asking you to. Simon asked me to find information about some _Lucy_ who's dated the Mage and I need to know _why_." I'm pretty sure I'm on an unstoppable rant, "Merlin's beard! My mother told me about her and that's not a sweet bedtime story so I'm pretty sure there's no need for Simon to hear it now and I swear, if you don't give me a good reason-"

"Crowley, Penelope," Baz cuts me off, "wouldn't you let me say a word?"

I don't say anything so he continues:" Lucy's the one who came back, she's Snow's mother, and the Mage is-"

"Oh, _god_ " I gasp, speechless," I'll have to call you back." I add and hang up.

I dial Agatha's number.  
 **Agatha**

"What's wrong?" I say to Penny over the phone, something must be. She never calls without a good reason.

"Do you remember Lucy?" she says, not expecting an answer, "Did you find anything about her?"

"Not really," I say back, "a few pictures but nothing else. I never found out what actually happened."

"Can you email me the pictures?" Penny's voice lights with excitement, "You could say it's an emergency."

"I'm flying out to London in a few hours so I don't really have time for emailing, but I'll throw them in my bag, sure."

I sigh, I really wanted this trip to be as quiet and magick-less as possible, there go my plans.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Penny asks, sounding a little hurt.

"I guess I wanted it to be a surprise, one with no magickal adventures." I say.

"I promise there won't be too many," Penny says with amusement, "but we do have some interesting news."

"Are Simon and Baz getting married?" I say, mainly to make Penny laugh.

"Not yet." she says with laughter, "You'll see when you'll get here."

"I have to go; I'll call you when I get to London."

"See you then." Penny says before hanging up.


End file.
